Process of purifying hydrocarbons



Patented Au 30, 1927.

UNITED STATES LEON W. PARSONS, CAMBRIDGE, MASSACHUSETTS, AND STEWART P.COLEMAN,

PATENT OFFICE;

OF CORPUS CHRISTI, TEXAS, ASSIGNORS TO STANDARD DEVELOPMENT COMPANY, OFNEW YORK, N. Y., A CORPORATION OF DELAWARE.

PROCESS PURIFYING HYDROCARBONS.'

No Drawing.

used. The precise amount of oxid will vary.

with the particular stock treated and the product in view, running ingeneral from 1 to 15% by weight. With copper oxid when working withlubricating stocks from coastal;

crudes we have found up to advantageous, 2 to 6% giving the bestresults. The oil is warmed, the temperature depending upon theparticular stock being treated; light stocks .will of course not bewarmed to a temperature of vaporizing loss,.but with heavy stockstemperatures above 120 F. and up to 350 F. are especially advantageous.Different and higher temperatures can be used depending. on the natureof the stock.

After subjecting the oil to this treatment for from to 60 minutes,varying with the stock, the strength of the oxidizing agent and theamount of treatment desired, sufiicient agitation bein employed toinsure adequate diifusion an contact of the treating agent, the oil isdrawn off from the sludge and metallic copper residue and is treatedwith an alkali. This may be done in any convenient container, butdesirably is combined with a final distillation and in such case mostadvantageously the alkali may be provided by a charge of -caustic sodapre- .viously placed in the still and heated sufii- 'ciently to drive 0EWater. In general the amount of caustic soda required will run betweenabout 2 to 8 or 10 per cent. An excessof alkali does no serious damage,but. is wasteful and increases gumming in the still. Other alkalies canbe used, though less desirably, for instance, caustic otash, andsoda-lime mixture, or caustic so a and carbonate mixture. The oil is nowdistilled off as desired. With lieavy stocks it is advanta eous to usevacuum distillation. f desired the cupricoxid or other oxidiz-Application filed November '10, 1922. Serial No. 599,966.

ing agent and the alkali can be, used simul' taneously in treating theoil. A final distillation is advantageous and with heavy hi1 stocksvacuum distillation may be employed if desired. Where preferred theentire treat ment mayv be carried out in a still and the' oil may thenbe distilled as. In some-cases, as when asphalt or tarry suspension ispresent, the hydrocarbon stock may preliminarily be given a light orpurifying. treat ment with sulfuric acid, neutralizing and washing asusual, and then be treated with copper oxide or the like and with thealkali successively orsimultaneously. While in describing our inventionwe hav referred to certain specific details it will be understood thatthis is by way of illustration and explanation,-and is not limitative. F

Nor is the invention to be regarded as de pendent upon the accuracy ofany theories mentioned in connection with explanation of theadvantageous results attained, but on the other hand the invention is tobe regarded as limited only as defined in the following claims, in whichit isour intention to claim all inherent novelty as broadly as the priorart permits.

What we claim is:

1. The improvement in the art of purify ing heavy hydrocarbons, whichcomprises adding 110% of cupric oxid to the hydrocarbon stock and.heating to F.. to 350 F.- for 15 to 30 minutes'while agitating, thenintroducing the hydrocarbons into a still containing a charge of causticsoda amounting to 28%, and distilling the hydrocarbons under a vacuum. va

2. The im rovement in the art of purifying hydro-carbons, whichcomprises adding 1-10% of copper oxid to the hydrocarbon stock andheating to a temperature short of vaporization for 15 to 30 minuteswhile agitating, then introducing the hydrocarbons into a, stillcontaining a charge of caustic soda amounting to 28% and distilling thehydrocarbons. Y

3. The improvement in the art of purifying hydrocarbons, which comprisesadding 110% of copper oxid to the hydrocarbon stock and heating to atemperature at all times short of vaporization, while agitating, thenintroducing the hydrocarbons into a still containing a charge of causticsoda amounting'to 2-8% and distilling the hydrocarbons.

4. The improvement in the art of purifying hydrocarbons, which comprisessubjecting the hydrocarbon stock to a purifying treatment with sulfuricacid, settling and separating the sludge and residual acid from thehydrocarbon stock and subsequently treating the acid treated oil withcopper oxide while heating to a temperature at all times short ofvaporization, then introducin r into a still containing a charge ofcaustic soda, and distilling the hydrocarbons under a vacuum.

5. The improvement in the art of purifying hydrocarbons, which comprisesadding a mineral oxide having oxidizing properties to the hydrocarbonstock and heating to a temperature at all times short of vaporizationwhile agitating, then introducing the hydrocarbon stock into a stillcontaining a charge of caustic soda and distilling the hydrocarbonsunder a vacuum.

6. The improvement in the art of purifying hydrocarbons, which comprisesadding a mineral oxid having oxidizing properties to the hydrocarbonstock and heating to a temperature at all times short of vaporization,then introducing the hydrocarbon stock into a still containing a chargeof caustic soda, and distilling the hydrocarbons.

7 The improvement in the art of puritying hydrocarbons, which includesthe steps of adding 2 to 10% of copper oxid and heating to a temperatureat all times short of vaporization whi le agitating, then subjecting thehydrocarbons to the action of caustic soda.

LEON w. PARSONS. STEWART P. COLEMAN.

